In the last decade, a wave of new schools, departments, and academic centers devoted to civic education has emerged at universities across the country. Backed by legislative mandates in states like Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and North Carolina, they represent one of the most significant structural shifts in higher education in recent decades, attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in state appropriations as well as federal grant money.

The new "civics centers" emphasize a different strand of civics education than the community-engagement model currently dominant on college campuses. While both can broadly be called “civics education,” the new reform movement seeks to restore balance to the discipline by reintroducing a more traditional focus on classical liberal arts, statesmanship, and Western political thought. Perhaps as a natural consequence (and, as is evident from the core readings and broader discussion), questions of viewpoint diversity, disciplinary balance, and nonpartisanship are top of mind for many commentators.

This reading guide from Heterodox Academy is intended to familiarize readers with key arguments from proponents (and critics) of the civics reform movement and orient them to the broader discussion about its potential implications for higher education. This guide can be used:

• By administrators: Draw on this overview of the landscape to inform decisions about developing or overseeing civics centers on your campus.
• By civics center faculty: Use these readings to understand the broader intellectual, historical, and political context surrounding your institution — helping you situate your work, refine your goals, and engage more effectively with your campus community.
• By journalists, students, and the public: Explore diverse perspectives to understand how civics education connects to wider questions of democratic health, academic mission, and viewpoint diversity.